Condos Connected To MRT Train Stations Are More Expensive

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Choosing to live in an area that’s within striking distance of a train station is expensive, but how much more homebuyers are expected to pay is the more appropriate question.

Looking at the listed prices of condos close to MRT stations along EDSA, global property portal Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) found that an average condo located within 100 meters of an MRT station is at least Php16,645 more expensive per square meter than a similar, newly built condo situated more than 500 meters away. The price gap becomes even wider depending on the condo and its developer.

Lamudi picked two MRT stations (Boni and Magallanes) with a number of condo developments around them, and analyzed the price difference between the condos that are directly connected to the MRT station with similar ones that are situated more than 500 meters away. In addition, Lamudi chose only those condos with more than 15 for-sale properties listed in the platform.

In the case of Boni Station in Mandaluyong, there were two condo developments that are directly connected to the MRT station. If property buyers opt to choose any of these two properties, then they should pay Php31,572 and Php16,645 more per sqm compared to a similar, newly built condo in the same area but situated more than 500 meters away from the train station.

Soulmate-Searching Tips from the “Psychic Matchmaker”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Finding true love isn’t easy. Despite the available means with today’s technology, many people still wonder if and when they’ll find their perfect match.

In her new Eve series, Psychic Matchmaker, Deborah Graham uses her special gift to help connect people psychically with their true soulmate. She has helped hundreds of people – both believers and skeptics - find the love of their lives and believe in love once more. While Deborah’s unconventional methods may not be for everyone, she has some tips that could make the soulmate-search much easier:

1. Acknowledge your positive and negative energy.

The “love myself first” movement has a point - finding true love involves more self-evaluation than simply finding a person that fits an ideal set of criteria. Knowing who you are – your strengths, weaknesses, faults, tendencies, your general well-being or energy as Deborah calls it, etc. – is one step ahead in finding someone who needs to get you. Moreover, know the difference of what you think you want and what is actually good for you. If you don’t know who you are and the things you need in life, then don’t bother finding someone to put up with your confused state of being at all.

2. Let go of your baggage.

Admit it. Everyone who might be looking for love must have had his or her piece when it comes to pain. Heartbreaks might not be in the same degree or intensity for everybody, but in order to find anyone at all, acknowledging this negative energy and then letting the baggage go is the best way to let someone in. Stop letting your tragic stories turn into issues that can prevent you from opening yourself up to another person.

A Never-Ending Cycle of Getting Even

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We keep complaining about the government cheating us out of our hard-earned money via the automatic tax deductions, E-VAT on consumer goods and services, implementing fees and strict guidelines on businesses, and other horrifying stories like the realities of corrupt politicians running away with our taxes using dummy programs, overpriced projects and ghost foundations, etc..

However, everyone else, may he be the small, big, average citizen to the multinationals or corporations, does the same ludicrous but serious offenses of going against the law or working around it by avoiding paying the right taxes or business fees, failing to follow basic traffic rules, polluting our air, rivers and streets (and our minds), false advertising of products and services (like the unlimited Internet by telcos) and a lot more absurdities that are circumvented by either connections, friends or relatives working for influential or authority figures, or powerful set of lawyers that can bend, delay or request for TROs, and plenty more magic tricks up our sleeves.

We keep on blaming the government when our next door neighbor is equally guilty of an offense but we accepted it as justifiable because we think the government doesn't deserve to "play" and "profit" with our taxes in the first place. So we commit our very own "cheats" in order to get even.

The world will continue to rot if we keep on thinking like this. It's a never-ending cycle of getting even, and all of us, and our children, will eventually suffer from the inequities we have brought upon ourselves.

It may be a bit frustrating when the world seems to be against you because you choose to be different. But it is a lot comforting knowing you can sleep soundly at night and that you fought for your personal beliefs.

It only takes one person to live a life that's just and fair, and hopefully the others will follow (even if it will take years and several lifetimes). I hope that person is you!